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Impact of moving an international aviation design competition to a virtual environment: challenges, benefits, and lessons learned (Evaluation)

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Conference

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Minneapolis, MN

Publication Date

August 23, 2022

Start Date

June 26, 2022

End Date

June 29, 2022

Conference Session

PCEE Session 3: Robotics and Design Competitions

Page Count

16

DOI

10.18260/1-2--41278

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/41278

Download Count

226

Paper Authors

biography

Robert Deters Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach

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Robert Deters is an Associate Professor with the Department of Engineering and Technology at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide. He is the Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology. His research interests include online engineering education; wind tunnel testing of airfoils, propellers, and propeller-wing configurations; design of testing configurations for thrust performance of propellers and UAVs; and measuring propeller aeroacoustics. Dr. Deters is the technical lead for the Real World Design Challenge, an international high school STEM design competition in aeronautical engineering. He received a Ph.D. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University.

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Jeffrey Coppola

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Ralph Coppola

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Abstract

Starting in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on STEM competitions for high school students. With the shutdowns during the early part of the pandemic, competitions with an in-person component were forced to either cancel or adapt as virtual. The Real World Design Challenge (RWDC) competition was no exception. In April of each year, teams invited to participate in the National/International portion of the RWDC competition travel to the Washington, DC area to give presentations before a panel of judges. In a little over a month in 2020, RWDC was able to successfully transition the National/International competition to a virtual event. With the success from 2020, the 2021 competition again went virtual, and with the continued uncertainties related to the pandemic, the 2022 event was virtual. This paper discusses the impact that a virtual final event has had on the RWDC competition. The move to a virtual event in 2020 and the subsequent virtual events led to many challenges but also provided several benefits.

Deters, R., & Coppola, J., & Coppola, R. (2022, August), Impact of moving an international aviation design competition to a virtual environment: challenges, benefits, and lessons learned (Evaluation) Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41278

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